


Now at the end of the day

by greenapricot



Series: Lewis and Endeavour prompt fills [3]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 22:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17353898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenapricot/pseuds/greenapricot
Summary: When Morse walks into the morgue, Max is at the worktop under the windows performing his usual tidying up rituals.





	Now at the end of the day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iloveyoudie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveyoudie/gifts).



> Prompt fill for [the way you said “I love you.”](http://greenapricot.tumblr.com/post/181715394925/the-way-you-said-i-love-you) meme on Tumblr for the prompt: [31] In awe, the first time you realised it .. max/morse

When Morse walks into the morgue, Max is at the worktop under the windows performing his usual tidying up rituals; everything in its place and sorted and ready for the next day, his precise and practised movements economical yet elegant, as he restores order to the day’s chaos. 

Something about those careful motions makes Morse long to touch Max, to take off his white coat and loosen his bowtie and muss his hair; transform him from professional Max to private Max. But not here, not now at the end of the day when orderlies so often rush in with last-minute test results or questions. That has to be later, when it’s just the two of them, when he is allowed to see Max without his tie, Max without his vest, Max without his armour. Morse doesn’t know if Max shows that part of himself to anyone else, but he likes to think that it’s all for him, more and more of late he hopes that it’s all for him, even if that is horribly selfish. But he’s a selfish man and when he sees something—someone—that he desires he wants them all to himself. 

That’s when it hits him, in the morgue with the sun shining through the high windows, conferring a dream-like quality even to this room.

“I love you,” Morse blurts, the words slipping out before he can stop them. Max turns, sunlight glinting across his glasses as it only does for these few minutes a day. The tray he was holding hits the worktop with a clatter. Morse can’t see his eyes through the glare on his glasses. 

“You— Pardon?” 

“You heard me,” Morse says, feeling suddenly defensive. It is true though, painfully true. Max can’t have missed it with his keen hearing; the way he almost dropped the tray. 

“All righty, then,” Max says, looking Morse up and down. He takes a step forward then stops like he’s thought better of it. “Should I assume that means you’ll be coming back to mine once I’m done here?”

Morse only hums in response. 

Max fixes him with a piercing look as if he’s dissecting Morse’s motivations with his eyes. Then he bounces on his toes and smiles. 

“Five minutes,” he says, turning back to his tidying up with a bit more urgency than before. 

_____


End file.
